


Safe In Her Arms

by HerDragonKnight



Series: Useless Lesbians [2]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Dorks in Love, F/F, M/M, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25717360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerDragonKnight/pseuds/HerDragonKnight
Summary: "...S-Stop yell...yelling at me Chad...""STOP BEING....YOU CONSTANTLY GET....AND I'M SICK OF IT!"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Ch-Chad...sto-stop...""I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!""GO. TAKE. A. FUCKING. WALK!"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"I got you princess...I got you"
Relationships: Chad Charming & Evie, Evie & Jay & Mal & Carlos de Vil, Evie/Mal (Disney), Jay/Carlos de Vil
Series: Useless Lesbians [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1865329
Comments: 26
Kudos: 91





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Really sorry for the mistakes guys, I’m not really good at grammar or punctuation and I don’t catch errors easily, but I hope you guys still enjoy it :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! This story may seem familiar to many who've read 'Must've Been The Wind' and it is. But, I decided to revise the original story since my writing has gotten better. So some parts are still the same because they fit perfectly with the story, I hope you guys enjoy!

Mal laid on the heated brick floor of her somewhat large apartment. The walls, once gray concrete, were covered in various colors. They were her canvas. A space to let her imagination fly, as well as put up the art she wasn't aloud to broadcast yet. Something about proper art etiquette or whatever. Mal didn't mind though. It was her space, her sanctuary that she shared with her Komodo Dragon, Isle. Tilting her head up to look at her dragon on her chest, Isle gave her a lazy smile bumping their noses together. She laughed as she idly stroked her scales gently. Receiving a satisfied groan brought a smile to her face, one that was soon turned into a worry filled frown once she heard the sound of glass shattering above her. Guess her relaxing time was over. Mal nearly waved it off as someone dropping a cup or something. Couldn't blame them, she was clumsy too. Then, she heard screaming and what sound like a girl crying. The purplette frowned getting up. A million thoughts raced through mind as she stopped herself. It wasn't her business, whatever it was. Besides, the girl was ok, right? She made her decision when something heavier hit the floor. Grabbing her keys, Mal walked out the door. She hoped it was just a petty argument or something. Heading to the 5th floor, she walked down the hall. Thankfully, the apartments were fairly the same. She knocked but, no answer.

"Geez...you'd think that with them keeping up so much noise they'd at least answer the fu-!"

The door suddenly swung open. Once she'd made sure her heart was still beating, Mal saw a guy a few feet taller than her. He was glaring as he shoved past her, mumbling about girls or whatever. She scowled at the guy, her fist clenched. He was lucky she didn't have Isle or-

"Umm...hello?"

Whatever dark thought she had, vanished once she laid eyes on a girl. Not just any girl, one that made her heart stop. The girl had wavy royal blue hair, sky blue eyes that looked like they would sparkle if her eyes weren't so red from crying, smooth tanned skin and don't get Mal started on her kissable lips.

"Are...are you ok?"

Mal snapped out of her gay thoughts with a nod.

"Hi umm...I'm your neighbor below you and honestly I heard a noise so I came to check if everything was alright"

Apparently the thoughts were mutual, the bluenette seemed distracted by something. Possibly because she stormed out of her room in only a pair of boxers and sports bra. The girl had a faint blush on her cheeks, possibly not realizing she was staring until Mal had spoke. The girl just shook her head as she leaned against the door frame.

"It must've been the wind or something....sorry I didn't hear anything"

Clearly a lie, the girl couldn't look at her when she spoke; glancing down the hall and to the floor. She was a terrible liar but it still wasn't her business. The bluenette wore a dark blue hoodie that went up to her neck, well she held it to her chin like she was hiding something. Mal frowned, getting a glance of the bruise on the girl's neck but the girl seemed upset and decided to make her smile if she could. Mal folded her arms with an amused smile.

"So...the wind sounds like breaking glass and yelling? Geez I should really watch the News more"

The girl, although caught of guard, snorted at her lame joke. It was refreshing to see she could make the girl smile. She had a really pretty smile that made her eyes sparkle. The girl laid her head on the door frame, one arm tucked under her breast with the other holding the sweater under her chin.

"Well I guess you should but it's late maybe you're just hearing things...umm?"

"Mal...name's Mal no last name needed unless you're a Cop"

The girl rolled her eyes unable to stop herself from laughing, while Mal chuckled leaning on one leg to scratch her thigh with her feet. Only then did she realize, she didn't have any shoes on. Thank the gods she remembered to grab her keys. The girl though, was smiling and reached up to brush a few fallen locs of blue out of her face. Mal guessed she didn't know she had a bruise on her cheek since she was still smiling, and decided not to mention it. It wasn't her business but she still wanted to help the girl out.

"No Cops here...I'm Evie by the way and thanks for caring but I have to go back in..."

"Are you sure? I know this spot on the roof that's perfect for viewing the stars"

Evie smiled with a shake of her head, it's been a while since someone had made her smile and maybe it wasn't just the lame jokes, at least someone showed they cared. Plus, this Mal girl being pretty was an added bonus. The thought of going to the roof though, she'd really like to but knowing him he'd just scream at her again. She'd already get an earful for Mal. It was then, he had returned with a heated glare on his face. If she was lucky she'd get to her room before he came back inside. Turning back to the short girl, Evie could've sworn her breath was taken away but shook away her gay thoughts. For now.

"Maybe next time? I'm pretty busy right now so I-I can't"

Mal noticed her smile turn into a nervous frown as she kept glancing down the hallway. Her calm demeanor turned into a hostile one, probably her boyfriend. Exhaling, she smiled but it wasn't like the one she'd gotten from earlier. Evie wasn't slow, she knew Mal could tell what was going on but glad she didn't ask about it. Soon, she nodded to Evie.

"Well if you ever need anything just come down for a visit, you're always welcome"

"Thanks...you're pretty funny so I might come by to hear more jokes"

They smiled at each other, before Mal began taking her leave. She waved as she turned around heading towards the elevator and Evie couldn't keep her eyes off the girl's back. She worked out, obviously a given by the fact that Mal had muscle where most girl would be ashamed to have. By the shape of her body, the waves of purple and bare face, Evie soon found herself in her room swooning. She couldn't believe she'd caught the attention of a girl like that, under circumstances that were embarrassing but she still caught her attention. She couldn't stop smiling that night, sitting in the chair by her window as she stared at the stars. She couldn't see the moon but the stars danced around her, all to their own rhythm and to music only they could hear. Her mind shifted to the purplette, her plump lips, weird jokes and point ears. Everything about the girl screamed lesbian but looks could be deceiving. Then again, the girl did invite her to come down or to meet with her on the roof. Maybe she wouldn't even see Mal again. Not likely since they live in the same apartment complex, so maybe they would.

As she heard the front door slam followed by a yapping little shit of a dog. The sound cause her to cringe but as she sat down in one of her safe zones, she sighed hoping she'd see Mal again.


	2. Chapter 2

"What are your plans for today?"

"Sis?"

"Mal?"

"oh Malie Walie~"

Mal growled as she tried her best to focus on her painting; kind of hard to do when your brother was nearby. She'd been working on it for the past few days and really wanted to get it done. It's been three days since she last saw Evie and her mind hadn't given her a break. She was worried about some girl she didn't know, so sue her. It was perfectly normal to worry about someone. Especially if they were as sweet looking at the bluenette. She scoffed thinking, how could anyone cause harm to someone so nice looking. But, as if the gods were out to get her, the purplette suddenly felt something light hit her back. With a deep inhale and a dramatic sigh, Mal whipped her head around to glare at her brother; who had a shit eating grin on his face.

"Yes dear _annoying_ brother of mine?"

She set her brush down, eyeing her handy work so far and nodded with a satisfied smile. Mal briefly wondered if it was weird to give a girl you knew nothing about a painting of them. She was getting psychotic vibes from the thought and blamed it on her being gay. The purplette moved passed her brother to clean her hands.

He was eyeing the painting and it looked too judgmental for her liking.

"I asked if you were just gonna sit here all day painting a random girl"

Mal felt her cheeks flush slightly.

"She's just been on my mind lately....no biggy..."

"Uh, yeah a big biggy! I swear you just met this girl and you're already whipped"

Jay smirked at her with a raised eyebrow. She rolled her eyes, going to her fridge for something to eat. Right, she needed to go grocery shopping. Mal closed the fridge with a sigh and plopped on her couch. Her brother shook his head, shoving her over to sit down with his arms draped along the back of the couch. Mal glared but resumed her position; this time laying on his lap to stare at the ceiling. The glow in the dark stars needed to be redone but they still shined bright in the dimness of her apartment. It was comforting as the two sat in silence, his hand found its way into her hair and she relaxed against him. There was amusement in his voice.

"You that worried you need head rubs?"

Her eyes were closed but she shrugged, reaching down to pull Isle on her stomach.

"Just shut up and keep rubbing...."

She really liked head rubs.

"You sound like Carlos"

Mal used to like head rubs.

" _And_ , we're done"

He laughed heartily as she sat up and away from him with Isle tucked securely in her arms. The brunette reached out to pet her but Mal slapped his hand with a glare.

"I know where those hands have been and they're not going on my child"

Jay pouted but all protests went out the window once the doorbell to her apartment rang twice. She threw her head back with dramatic whine and laid Isle down on her personal pillow, a frilled black and gray fluffy cloud that the dragon used to gnaw on. Her brother could hear his own doorbell ringing twice, he sighed getting up as well. While he went to his apartment, through a doorway they cut in once they first moved in, the purplette slipped on a pair on a pair of running shoes. She left them untied since she wasn't going anywhere special, that and not putting on a shirt. As Mal closed her door, she could hear her brother closing his as well. The two took the elevator down to the lobby, one hoping to not run into any of their neighbors and the other just wanting to get back to her painting. In other words, stare at it until she could come up with the perfect color combination for the bluenette's eyes. She mentally slapped herself. 

_'You spend that much time looking at her and you can't even get her eyes right?'_

She was mentally scolding herself, too distracted to hear her brother calling out to her. Mal was mumbling under her breath, a scowl on her face as she kept walking.

"Mal you're gonna-"

Jay watched as his sister practically slammed into another girl. He winced when their foreheads collided, then shook his head. Looking closer, the girl looked familiar but he swore he'd never seen her before. While he was trying to figure out why the girl looked so familiar, Mal found herself on the floor; rubbing her lower back as she hissed and face twisting into a death glare. Her eyes were closed but she could feel someone hovering over her.

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and...I...Mal?"

Mal opened her eyes to see a pools of sky blue blended with beautiful sapphire. The purplette was struck dumb, eventually taking the bluenette's hand offered to her. Meanwhile, Evie was having a hard time comprehending. She'd never seen anyone with Jade almost emerald eyes before, the miles and miles of green reminded her of the meadows she used to play in. They were beautiful and brighter once she pulled the girl up, which gave her a better view. Jay looked between the two girls, eventually shaking his head as he walked past the two to get his mail. He was still trying to pinpoint where he'd met the bluenette, maybe in a store? She could've been an old high school classmate he'd never talk to. That wasn't it, he grabbed his mail before turning back to get another look at the girl. She was wearing a fairly thick sweater and jogging pants with no shoes. It was somewhat hot in the lobby, the reason he was only in a pair of basketball shorts; so she somewhat stuck out in the crowd. Aside from the girl's obvious weird clothing choice, he looked closer and that's when it hit him. Her sweater, her hair, the fairly tanned skin; his eyes widened as he slapped his sister arm, which startled the hell out of her.

"THAT'S the girl you're painting!"

Her cheeks flushed, eyes widening and wished she had a bat right then. Mal laughed nervously, grabbed her brother by his wrist as she spoke through grit teeth.

"What are you talking about Jay?"

"I was trying to figure out why I recognized her since I never saw her before and then it hit me like how you want to hit me right now"

Her eye twitched as she eyed his grin. Jay was right, she did want to hit him but Mal was a bit more concerned about the bluenette's reaction. Turns out Evie was quite amused by the two. She was trying to hold back her laughter, hiding her smile behind the oversize sweater she wore. It was, breathtaking to the shorter girl. The purplette unknowingly let go of her brother, eyeing the girl's movements closely. How her right arm hooked around her torso while the other was brought up to hide her smile. The way her nose scrunched up, shoulders shook with refrained laughter, and eyes lidded as if the hide the light in them. To Mal, Evie was a rare piece of art. One that many would attempt to copy or recreate in their own image, but could never have the same striking effect as the original. The brunette could only smirk, never had he seen Mal stop from hitting someone. Figuring he could use this as leverage, Jay leaned against the wall with a smirk.

"Well while this gay idiot reprograms herself, I'm Jay"

He held his hand out for her to shake. Evie, again, had to hold back her laughter but reached out shaking the boy's hand. 

"Evie, as you probably already know from Mal"

"Yeah my sister talks about you A LOT, it's honestly getting annoying"

The bluenette raised a brow, taking her hand back as he looked between the two confused. They looked nothing alike. Though, it was a relief that the purplette didn't have a boyfriend, she'd been thinking of ways to approach the girl for the past three days. The bluenette pulled her sweater up, tucking her chin in it once she felt a breeze that wracked her entire body. Eyeing the two, she wondered how they could both be shirtless when it was so cold in the lobby but she shrugged it off remembering why she was constantly cold.

"Oh? I thought you two were dating actually"

Mal snapped out of her stupor, looking at her brother as he'd done the same and a wall of nausea hit her. Evie watched the two glare at each other and move away like they'd burn the other if they touched. Yeah, they were related. It reminded her of how she was with her own brother, so she chuckled leaning against the wall. Mal had turned to her with a grimace.

"I'd rather sleep with my ex then date him"

"Hey!"

He was then ignored when she turned back to the taller girl, which left the boy fuming as he stomped back to his apartment. Jay yelled over his shoulder, _'Carlos is coming over so clean up asshole'_ to which she rolled her eyes. A smile on her face still, one that had Evie gushing over the girl's lower canine poking out.

"Anywho, now that my dick of a brother is gone-"

Evie looked away from her lips, a slight blush on her face. She could only hope that Mal didn't think she wanted to kiss her, although she really wanted to. Inwardly scowling, Evie reprimanded herself, they'd just met and she was already pinning over the purplette. Mal did catch her staring but she was more focused on the slow growing bruise on the girl's forehead. She frowned because if memory serves right, it wasn't there before.

"I'm not sure if this would count a rude or not but...are you ok?"

"What do you mean?"

Mal bit her lip, making a gesture of pointing to her forehead. Still confused, Evie reached up barely touching the spot when she retracted her hand with a hiss of pain. She looked like she wanted to cry and held herself tighter. 

"I-I'm fine it's just my-"

The bluenette paused much to the shorter girl's worry; she could hear the sound of their neighbors coming down. Her bruise. Evie turned her head, reaching up to hide it when another hand stopped her. She looked to the purplette with panic and worry in her eyes.

"M-Mal I-"

"Just follow my lead ok?"

The neighbors were getting closer, her heart was racing but, Mal was calm; having a reassuring smile in place. Exhaling slowly, the bluenette nodded but still looked away when others turned the corner. She closed her eyes, waiting for the overflow of questions that never came. Before she knew it, Mal reached behind her, grabbed her hoodie and pulled it down far enough to not only hide the bruise but also hide how terrified Evie truly was. Her eyes widened, looking down to the purplette in astonishment. However, Mal handed her the mail she'd gotten while making a gesture to get behind her; the bluenette did as told, making it seem like she was searching for something to keep her head down. Mal, on the other hand, smiled and waved to the older woman.

"Hey FG! Sup Jane! how's everything?"

Evie was astonished at how easy it was for the girl to carry out a conversation. She made it look so easy, a feat she'd probably never be able to reach. Evie knee she was too shy to openly talk to a stranger, the main reason as to why the only neighbor she knew was Mal and she guessed Jay counted. The siblings were friendly and Mal was considerate enough to help her without questioning. She knew the bruise would go away eventually but it was still something she didn't want others to see. So while Mal was busy distracting the women, she made her move. Gently brushing her hand along the purplette's lower back as she made her way to the elevators. The bluenette nearly laughed at the girl's flushed cheeks and the shocked expression on her face when she turned to look at her. Evie made a show of setting Mal's mail down and smiled waving as a thanks. Before the doors closed, however, Mal shot her smirk with a wink that made her heart jump. The elevator ride was quiet thankfully, and no one was around so she removed her hood, followed by taking out her phone to check her reflection. Evie scoffed.

"Oh _now_ you go away"

She shoved her phone back in her pocket with a huff, silently cursing her own body as she got off. Once inside, Evie leaned back against the door with a smile and a sigh. She found herself thinking about the purplette, again. She soon found her thoughts consumed with that charming smile and jade so green it blended with the marvelous gold that took her breathe away. Her day dream was short lived though. Her brother's yapping dog was awake and she sighed, praying to the gods that she wouldn't murder it. Don't get her wrong, Evie loved all animals. She was just more of a cat person, though she still loved dogs and would own one. But, this dog wasn't hers. Sure it was scruffy, adorable, and had big silver eyes that she gushed over, but the dog was annoying. She preferred quiet in her apartment, not a dog that barked for no reason at all hours of the day, afternoon, evening and night. Evie exhaled slowly, moving past the dog to her room. She wanted to finish what she'd started. Day dreaming about a short, gorgeous purple haired, girl that swept her off her feet and creating a new character for her book.


	3. Chapter 3

The next time Evie saw her, it was a surprise to say the least and a bit of a mess. She'd convinced her brother to go grocery shopping with her, stating, _'if you're so worried then get off your lazy ass and join me'_. Though she wasn't expecting for him to actually go, it was nice to not argue over her leaving for once. He still made snide comments, moving her out of the way of someone walking past or to stop her from bumping into something. The last time he'd done it, she may or may not have purposefully had him run into an old lady's cart. He glared at her while she laughed, still in the over-sized sweater she always wore.After apologizing to the woman, he pulled her to the side.

"Ok, you did that on purpose!"

"Of course I did, you're hovering! Stop I feel smothered and not from my hoodie!"

She brushed past him but he grabbed her shoulder to stop her. Evie rolled her eyes, turning to give him her attention.

"Yes Chad?"

"Can you just..."

She watched him sighed with a shake of his head.

"Just...please be more observant? How am I supposed to protect you if you walk into EVERYTHING?"

"I don't walk into everything, I bump into things..."

"It's the same thing, this is why I don't want you leaving much"

Evie sighed, removing his hand to pick up a case of blueberries to add to their basket. They'd argued for five minutes about her carrying it. She understood why he was so protective but it was still annoying; she wasn't weak. Evie was an adult, not a child that couldn't watch out for themselves. Though, she was so busy fuming, she bumped into someone. More specifically crashed into the person's back but those were just minor details she never worried about.

"Evie!"

Great, now they had something else to argue over. The person did catch her before she fell,so at least she wouldn't have a disgusting bruise on her entire back.

"Evie? You ok?"

Evie looked up to see the last person she expected to see. Mal. It was like they were everywhere at the same time for some reason. Odd, yet Mal was satisfying to look at so it wasn't a big deal. The purplette pulled her up right with a crooked smile.

"We gotta stop bumping into each other like this"

Evie giggled with a nod, eyes unable to look anywhere but her lips. 

"Yeah we do, I wasn't expecting to see you here though"

"Me either I thought I was the only one that knew about the grocery store"

Rolling her eyes, Evie shoved the girl who pouted rubbing her arm. Mal was a bit surprised that it actually hurt, guess Evie was stronger than she looked. The purplette couldn't help but laugh at the look on the bluenette's face.

"And here I thought you were funny...."

Seeing how fast the girl's expression fell was hilarious, Evie had to fold her arms and hide her smile behind her sleeve. Mal, however, felt like she'd been slapped and stood with her mouth agape.

"E-Excuse me?"

"You heard me, you're not as funny as you thought...that one actually hurt"

Mal wouldn't admit it but it took her a second to catch on, so when she did, she looked down with a groan. 

"Oh damn guess I'll have to make it up to you then"

"I'd think it would be befitting since my heart feels oh so heavy..."

When the bluenette looked down, hugging herself Mal prayed to every god above that she wouldn't laugh. Evie just looked too huggable for it to be legal. Her eyes were downcast with the occasional side ways glance towards her, her bottom lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout but there was a hint of a smile. If Mal looked close enough, she'd see humor sparkling in a pair of blue orbs. Sighing and scratching the back of her neck, the purplette gasped catching the girl off guard.

"How about this-"

Evie finally dropped the facade to go back to her usual position, an arm around her torso and hand under her chin as she smiled.

"Mhmm?"

"I take you out for lunch? To apologize of course nothing more and nothing less"

She wasn't an idiot, Evie knew the real reason behind the offer and judging by the redness on the girl's cheeks, she was right. Mal was flustered, a bit nervous that she'd say, 'no'. Before she could respond though, her brother decided to make an appearance. He placed a hand on her shoulder and glared at Mal, who wasn't fazed by it. She flipped her hair midnight purple hair over her shoulder and raised a brow. Evie groaned, wondering how fast she'd be able to diffuse the situation before things could escalate. So, she grabbed the purplette's hand causing a momentary halt to Mal's brain processing and decided to introduce the two. 

"Mal this is Chad, my excessively overprotective little brother. Chad this our neighbor,Mal. Be. Nice"

The last part she said through grit teeth, her head turned to glare at him. He raised his hands in surrender, eyeing the shorter girl with a scowl. Evie could feel the hand she held tighten slightly, not enough to hurt or bruise so she was positive Mal had some idea as to what was wrong with her. Great, another tooth pulling explanation. Chad was eyeing the purplette with judgement, but it didn't bother her; she folded her arms, well, the best she could while not letting go of Evie's hand. He finally spoke with venom in his voice.

"I'm only nice to people who deserve it..."

Evie would've facepalmed if it wouldn't leave a hand printed bruise on her face.

"Oh? Big guy's done judging me? I feel so special~"

Where was her cleaver when she needed it? 

"You're not special you're an annoying elf"

Mal raised a brow, glancing to Evie who seemed completely done at this point, then back to the blonde with a sigh.

"Elf? Really? You know what, since I'm actually in a good mood and I have a date with a very pretty girl later tonight at say...7?"

Seeing the bluenette's blush was promising, but of course, Chad had to intervene. His eyes were wild with worry and acted as if he wanted to shield Evie from whatever the hell wasn't there.

"A date?! Seriously Evie you hardly know her!"

Before Mal could pull one of her famous scowls, Evie shushed him with a finger to his lips as she beamed to the shorter girl.

"7 is perfect, do I have to wear anything specific?"

He looked at her like she was crazy, attempting to move her finger before her entire hand covered his mouth. At this point, Mal caught on with a chuckle.

"Comfortable clothes are fine, we'll just be at my place and hopefully I could take you somewhere special if I can get a second?"

There was a hopeful gleam to the girl's eyes that a Evie fell in love with and considering how excited she sounded, Evie could tell she'd have a fun night.

"Hmm...maybe~ lets see what you have planned then I'll think about it"

"Cool! So...pick you up at 7?"

Their hands were still connected, neither wanting to let go but both had some planning to do once they'd gotten home. Evie may or may not have brushed her thumb over the girl's knuckles as they slowly began to separate.

Chad's protests could be heard in the background but were ignored. 

"Y-Yeah, see you at 7..."

Mal began walking backwards with a small bite to her lip, a small sense of pride struck her once Evie tucked her hair behind her ear with a small blush. That wasn't good enough for Mal, she made a show of eyeing the bluenette then smirked, throwing a comment over her shoulder; mainly to piss off Chad.

"You look cute in that sweater by the way, but you’d look adorable in one of mine Princess"

She left with a wink not missing the way Evie hid inside her sweater to hide her face or the anger in the boy's eyes. Mal could've sworn she heard an audible squeal of excitement and once she turned the corner, she placed a hand over her heart with a smile so bright it could rival the stars.

Mission accomplished.


	4. Chapter 4

Evie didn't have many regrets. She didn't regret breaking that boy's nose in second grade for calling her hair weird. She didn't regret slapping her father for disrespecting her mother. She also didn't regret all the girl's she made feel inferior to her without realizing. What she did regret, was taking her little brother to the store with her because now he wouldn't shut up about her date. He complained at the register, on the walk home, up the elevator and now in the kitchen where she was putting everything away. Just when she was about to put a bag of flour in the cabinet, he opened his mouth again and she swore she just about lost her mind.

Evie's eye twitched as she turned to glare at the boy.

"Chad for the THOUSANDTH time, I AM an adult I can do whatever the hell I want, I know you care and you worry but for the love of Athena! STOP!"

"B-But Evie, you DON'T know her and-"

"Yes! I know! That's the point of a date Chad!"

He shrunk back gaze down cast and she exhaled slowly, setting down the flour to not drop it as she sat down at the island in her kitchen. They were silent for a while, Evie with her head in her hands and Chad with his worry turning into anger. She quickly caught on and sighed heavily.

"Look little brother, I have a life and I need to live it"

"You could get hurt.."

His voice was small and fist were clenching. Evie sighed, reaching across to rest her hands over his.

"Chad I get hurt getting out of be-"

"That's not what I mean..."

His eyes were closed, mind swirling with images of her previous exes. He was there when the bluenette returned with bloodshot eyes and the bruises that covered her arms. How could she simply forget? How could she ignore everything that's happened to her? She was looking at him with so much concern and frustration that it pissed him off. Evie's voice was soft to not anger him but it only did the opposite.

"Then what are you..."

All he saw was red and his mind shut down. He slammed his fist on the counter top belting in rage.

"SHE COULD HURT YOU LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!"

Eviejumped back at his sudden outburst, eyeing his red face and teary eyes with distrust. She could feel her anxiety creeping up behind her, if she didn't calm him down then they'd just have another argument. Everyone in the building already thought she was being abused. What more could go wrong? Evie swallowed thickly, splitting her mind to regulate her breathing while trying to think of ways to calm him down. She kept her voice low, drawing her hands away.

"Chad...calm down, you're doing it again.."

"I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING!"

She jumped again, tears beginning to form in her eyes. It was getting harder for her to breathe, Evie got up from her seat taking a step back from the boy. Her mind was caving in on itself, vision morphing the world around her causing a whimper to escape. She shook her head, beginning to play with her air as she tried to breathe.

"...S-Stop yell...yelling at me Chad..."

"STOP BEING UNREASONABLY STUPID! YOU CONSTANTLY GET YOUR HEART BROKEN AND I'M SICK OF IT!"

Her moving away was seen as a threat, he rounded the counter to get closer to her since she looked ready to run or fight back. His eyes narrowed. The rapid rise and fall of her chest was evident in what he was doing, but he was too blinded by anger to see what was really happened. Evie was terrified, not trying to fight back. Another whimper escaped when she bumped into her fridge and a box fell on her head. She winced holding the tender spot, momentarily forgetting the situation at hand.

"SEE! YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! YOU NEED ME TO PROTECT YOU!"

She looked at him through teary eyes as she held her head, her throat was dry and her chest tightened with every intake of breathe attempted.

"Ch-Chad...just give...give...fuck...sto-stop..."

He was getting closer, voice raising louder once he heard her protests.

"NO TELL ME WHY YOU-"

Evie closed her eyes and covered her ears, backing away until she was pressed against the corner. One of her safe zones. One that was about to be violated. Her mind was racing as she tried to block out her brother's muffled screaming. He grew closer, she could feel it. Chad was pushing her to that point, the point where she'd run and hide because she couldn't handle it. Once he was standing directly in front of her and she could feel his hand reaching out, Evie bit it as hard as she could. So when he cried out in pain, she shoved him away pulling her hood until her face was covered and curled up in her corner.

"...l-leave..."

Voice still small, Chad glared at his sister wondering why the hell she bit him. Blood ran down his palm, meaning she broke skin in her attempt to snap him out of it. His mind was less blocked but his anger only rose due to the pain.

"AND WHY THE FU-"

Evie had enough, her body was trying to shut down so she didn't hear the last part. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't see. All she could do was curl up in her corner and hold herself. Her mind was in a haze as she blankly stared at the ground, her breathing turned ragged and her throat sore from mentally screaming for the past ten minutes. She clutched her hood to its ripping point, trying to find something to ground herself only to jump once more at his voice.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"

"GO. TAKE. A. FUCKING. WALK!"

Her head was in her hands, clutching tight as she began to rock herself back and forth. In her mind, she slammed her head back against the brick wall over and over again to leave the situation. Evie's sudden outburst caused him to step back. Seeing her in such a state made him come back to his senses but when he reached out to comfort her, she pushed herself back further into the corner so he stopped; clenching his fist.

"E-Evie I..."

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

He flinched at her panicked voice, now angry at himself for triggering her but he didn't have long to scold himself before frantic knocking on the door caught his attention. Apart of him hoped it wasn't the lady next door, but when he opened it and was shoved aside by the last person he wanted to see, he kind of wished it was. One quick glance in the bluenette's direction and Mal was steaming with rage. Knowing a panic attack when she saw one, Mal spoke low through grit teeth.

"What the hell did you do to her?!"

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR-"

"Lower your fucking voice! Do you want her to go into shock?!"

He wanted to protest but when the sound of his sister whimpering caught his attention, Chad felt a pang of guilt and jealousy rush through him when the purplette rushed over, crouched down in front of Evie. Mal kept her voice as soft as she could with how angry she was.

"Princess? can you hear me?"

Her eyes were welded shut in her mind but in reality, she was staring off into space unknown that she was hyperventilating and her mind was blacking out. Mal was so focused on the bluenette she hadn't noticed the blonde approaching until she could feel his presence. 

"You don't know-!"

When Evie heard his voice and whimpered, Mal shot up. She shoved him hard enough for him to lose his balance, her teeth bared as if she was going to attack him. He wouldn't admit it, but she scared him a little.

"Get. Out."

"You can't kick me out of my own apartment!"

Hearing the bluenette release a small cut off scream, Mal sneered at the boy causing his eyes to widen when she grabbed the collar of his shirt. Her body turned rigged wanting to make him feel like he'd done to the bluenette but she couldn't leave her side, so, she brought him down to her height almost growling in her rage. Before she could do anything, much to his thanks and her frustration, one of their neighbors popped inside. Thankfully, it was Fairy Godmother, as everyone called her. Mal let the boy go, shoving him away from her and the bluenette. She stood like a wall between them, eyes daring him to try anything. But when he tried to fix his mistake, a calming hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to snap at the person but stopped himself when he saw the woman's face.

"Let her handle this son, I think you need to clear your head"

"FG I-"

"I said what I said Chad...look"

Her voice was stern as she gestured to the two girls, he turned frowning at how gentle Mal was towards his sister. It was all fake to him. With Chad out the way, Mal crouched down in front of the dazed girl. 

"Evie...can you hear me princess?"

She didn't get an audible response, but her blank stare raised to meet her gaze was promising. Then a thought occurred, she remembered what her brother did whenever his boyfriend had anxiety attacks. Mal hoped it would work, she gently took the girl's hand and placed it over her heart; breathing in and out at a steady pace to keep her heart rate low. She cupped her cheek gently with her free hand, using her thumb to wipe her tears and smiled when Evie leaned into her touch.

"It's just me ok? No one else"

To make her statement true, she turned gesturing for FG and Chad to leave. The older woman gave her a thumbs up before grabbing the boy's ear and pulling him out the door against his will. Chad could only get one last glance towards his sister before he was pulled out the door. Mal turned back to the bluenette, stroking her cheek gently. The gentle coaxing was enough to get her mind to settle somewhat. Her vision was still slightly hazy but with the purplette wiping her tears away, it became easier to see. Blue met green and she released a quiet sob that the shorter girl reacted to instantly. Mal scooted herself closer, wanting to pull the girl in her arms but not knowing if she was aloud.

"It's just me princess, I got you"

"A...are you sure?"

She swore her heart broke at how terrified she sounded, but Mal nodded as Evie peaked out from her hood. She watched watery blue hues scan the room and promised herself she'd kick Chad's ass later. But right now, Evie came first.

"See? Just me and.."

Seeing the purplette's eyes widened so suddenly startled her. She thought there was something other than the wall behind her and practically threw herself into the girl's arms. Caught off guard, Mal stopped their fall with her right hand while the left was wrapped around the taller girl's waist. Evie had her arms wrapped around her shoulders with her face buried in her neck. Her body was shaking as she tried to shuffle as close as she could get to Mal, her new safe zone. Chuckling, the purplette ran her fingers through the girl's hair and smiled when Evie visibly relaxed.

"There we go, I'm sorry did I scare you princess?"

She responded with a whimper and tightening her grip on her body.

"I'm so sorry pretty girl, I just remembered that I left my door open when I ran up to get to you so my Komodo dragon's in the hall"

Her mind was cleared at this point. Evie still had an iron grip on Mal, but she didn't seem to mind, in fact, the Mal pulled her closer continuing to stroke her hair. Once her words registered, Evie pulled back sniffling a bit embarrassed that the girl she liked was seeing her in such a state.

"You r-ran up here?"

"I...yeah I took the stairs but I left my door opened by accident so..she's waiting for me downstairs"

Seeing the girl look as embarrassed as she felt, Evie smiled pressing a soft kiss to Mal's cheek. Which in turn made the purplette blush heavily and look at her in awe. At least she was smiling.

"I-Is she still down there?"

"Yeah, if I leave my door open my Komodo will stand guard at the entrance"

Evie giggled, reaching up to wipe the remaining tears off her face. Then she remembered their date and felt like burying herself. Mal had seen her in her weakest state, but the girl hadn't left. In fact, Mal comforted her like she knew what she was doing and was still holding her. When Evie realized the position they were in, it was her turn to blush because at that moment, they were on her kitchen floor, she was between the purplette's legs and pressed against her chest. Her cheeks only reddened when Mal adjusted them to where she was sitting in her lap. Evie decided, it was her new favorite spot. With a bite to her lip, she laid her head on the purplette's shoulder snuggling against a warm body.

"Can I see her? I think I need something small to hold on to right now"

Despite her nodding, Mal mumbled _'you could hold on to me'_ under her breathe before picking her up as she stood. Eyes widening, Evie clutched the girl's shoulders as her heart rate spiked.

"Don't worry, I won't drop you princess"

"Is that what you're calling me now?"

She grabbed her keys but left her phone as Mal held her with one arm to lock and close her door before resuming her hold with a smile.

"Yeah, it suits you"

"How so?"

There was a momentary pause but Mal simply shrugged before continuing to the elevator. 

"You look like you should be on the cover of Vogue magazine or something, or a Victoria secret model"

Evie blushed, tucking her face in the crook of a pale neck causing Mal to laugh. Apart of her wondered why it was so easy for Mal to carry her, then she remembered how light she was and partially started to hate her mother. Evie scolded herself, there was no time to think about things like that when a hot girl was carrying you. Once they were in the elevator, a door opened and right as the elevator doors were closing, Chad appeared heart broken when he saw her. Whimpering, Evie unknowingly clutched Mal's shirt. The purplette reacted to her fear by tightening her already secured grip and audibly growled keeping him rooted in place. It was the first time that he'd heard human's growl sound so realistic. She sneered as the doors closed, voice gentle to keep Evie from having another attack.

"I got you princess...I got you"


	5. Chapter 5

The ride down to her floor was uneventful for the most part, well, except for the evened out breathing from the bluenette. Mal thought she'd fallen asleep, that is until she caught a glimpse of Isle. The Komodo turned her head to look at her owner but refused to leave her spot. The purplette chuckled, making her way down the hall. Shifting a bit due to the uneven rug, Evie tightened her hold on the purplette; nuzzling deeper in the curve of her neck.

_'How can I make her feel safe?'_

Mal shook her thoughts away with a huff.

_'What am i saying? She's letting me carry her to my place, of course she feels safe in my arms'_

Biting her lip, Mal stepped over Isle, careful to not accidentally step on her tail like last time. Success! She smiled down at Isle, who made her way to the couch that over looked New York. The sky had gotten darker, yet the sun's rays hit their city almost perfectly. The natural golden, orange and pink hues inspired the artist but she could paint another evening, Mal had more pressing matters to attend to. She leaned down whispering to not startle the bluenette.

"I'm gonna set you down next to Isle ok?"

At the mention of her name, Isle's head popped up in the direction of her owner. Her turquoise, silver and green eyes trained on her owner, then to the blueberry muffin in her arms, with a tilted head. The bluenette shifted slightly, releasing a tiny moan before finally lifting her head. Guess Evie did fall asleep. Through lidded eyes, she looked around the apartment and once she decided it was safe, the bluenette looked up to the girl nodding. Her throat was still sore and decided to simply rest for a while, besides, questions were soon to come so she needed to get her thoughts together. Soon, she was sat on the couch next to the curious Komodo.

"I'll be quick ok?"

Evie leaned her head back against the back of the couch, giving the purplette a tired smile and a lazy nod to follow. With that, Mal gave a nod of her own before going to do her normal routine. Once she'd left, Evie was greeted by the curious lizard. The two just stared at each other.

"Don't worry about Isle, she's a big sweetheart"

She heard Mal call from behind on the other side of the loft. Evie noticed the main lights turn of but the soft glow from hanging lights bounced off the wall giving enough light to see. Then, she could hear music in the background. It sounded familiar to her but her train of thought was interrupted by a something cold tapping her shoulder. She shuddered, before turning around to see the purplette holding a bottle of water. Mal smiled down at her holding another bottle in her other hand.

"I figured you could use this"

Evie took it with a nod.

"Thank you..."

"No worries"

She watched the purplette make her way around the couch and sat next to her. Mal shuffled a bit till her legs were folded under her and Isle crawled in her lap. Everything was silent, save for the soft music in the background and if she were to be honest, this was the most relaxed she'd been since Chad moved in with her. At the thought of her brother, she subconsciously brought her knees to her chest.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Mal noticed the way Evie withdrew and grew worried. She wanted to help, do anything to make the bluenette feel better but things didn't always work out the way people wanted. She was proof of that. With how quiet the girl was, Mal thought she'd never speak, which was fine. All she wanted was to make her feel safe and little to her knowledge, Evie did feel much safer in such a calming atmosphere. Her eyes would travel around the room every once in a while, only stopping once she saw something that caught her eye. For example: the various painting on the wall were beautiful, the quite large habitat to her left was even cuter with Isle laying on her back with her legs up, and the glow in the dark stars above were mesmerizing. They gave her a sense of security that aided in her body loosening up, it was like she was in a whole new world. Mal noticed what caught her attention and chuckled.

"You like them?"

Again, she was met with silence and sighed low. Expecting to have to wait longer, Mal moved to get up once her stomach growled but stopped when a small voice called out to her.

"Did you do them yourself?"

She looked to Evie, sitting back down with a nod.

"Yeah I did, I sleep out here a lot so having those at night helps me"

"Helps you with what?"

Now it was Evie's turn to worry since the short girl suddenly when quiet. The bluenette sat patiently as Mal appeared to be contemplating something. Eventually, the purplette turned to her with a soft smile.

"I..I have insomnia so I have to stare at the stars and listen to either the street noise outside or music helps"

The bluenette made an 'oh shit' face before regaining her composure. Mal already looked ashamed of it and she didn't want to make her feel worse about something she had no control over. So, Evie leaned forward, taking her hand much to Mal's surprise. Evie even moved over to sit closer to her and laid her head on her shoulder. Mal was frozen, unsure if she should do or saying something. She sat there, waiting for judgement although it'd never come. Evie began playing with her fingers, eyes trained on the colors in the closing sky.

"I can see how it helps"

"Huh?"

Although Mal was surprised, it didn't stop her heart from fluttering once the bluenette sat up to look at her.

"It's like you're putting yourself in a cocoon of sorts, the lights, the ambiance from the music and the colors are all put together to form this relaxing bubble for you"

"I...I never thought of it that way, mainly because it helps me relax just not enough to sleep"

Now that she was undeniably closer, Evie could see the bags under her eyes and how tired she actually looked. Mal didn't really seem sleep deprived but that was mainly due to her vibrant personality, then a thought occurred, when was the last time she'd slept? It was her turn to make a bold move. With a bite to her lip, Evie stroked the back of her knuckles with her thumb as she spoke hesitantly. 

"when...was the last time you slept?"

"good question actually..."

Mal trailed off eventually zoning out until she stared at the wall for what seemed like a few seconds but, in reality, she zoned for a few minutes trying to remember the last time she actually slept. Finally, Mal shrugged to the bluenette. 

"I think I was maybe 14 but that was when my brother and I stopped sleeping next to each other"

"and how old are you now?"

If Mal needed to think to remember her age, Evie would've accused her of being a weird doppelganger of sort but the purplette just grinned at her sheepishly.

"i'm 22"

"you mean to tell me that you haven't properly slept in-"  
  


Evie paused to count on her fingers then whipped her head around, looking to the girl with widened eyes.

"you haven't gotten proper sleep in 8 years?!" 

"i'm guessing that's a problem?

"Yes that's a _huge_ problem Mal!" 

She rubbed the back of her neck, about to say something when the bluenette's next words threw her for a loop.

"can I help?" 

"say what now?"

Evie chuckled, making yet another bold move. She cupped the purplette's cheek to hold her gaze, not missing the quiet gasp that escaped from the now blushing woman. Stroking her cheek gently, Evie smiled with a tilt to her head.

"You did a huge thing for me so, helping you some sleep is the least I can do for you" 

Speechless, Mal could only nod and with that Evie retracted her hand, resuming her comfortable position of hugging herself. At least she was smiling but, what did was she going to do to help her sleep? A million thoughts rushed through her head but she couldn't see Evie doing any of those things so, what was it? The more she thought, the more her brain began to hurt. Mal shook her head to clear and a small laugh caught her attention. She propped her cheek on her fist looking at the bluenette confused, but Evie waved it off.

"nothing, I just... I thought I was the only one that did that"

"Did what?"

The bluenette giggled. 

"The little head shaking thing to clear your thoughts"

"Oh that? yeah I don't see anything wrong with it, it helps restore the balance of tranquility"

"No one really does but when you have anxiety, it's basically a timely routine"

At the mention of one of her problems, Evie began to withdraw again. She never let her hand go, staring out the window. Seeing the girl regress so suddenly, Mal thought of anything she could say to make her feel better about it. It was then she remembered what her friend taught her, well, it was in the psych ward but those were just minor details. So, Mal rubbed her knuckles with her thumb and turned to her before gesturing to the open space.

"Well, considering we both have problems...care to share?"

The question halted Evie's mental shut down. She'd never been asked to tell everything that was quote on quote, wrong with her. She saw them as a burden that stopped herself from truly living but when she turned to see what Mal was pointing to, she noticed a wall missing. Considering all the lofts were built the same, it was a bit confusing and turned to the purplette with a tilt of her head that put Mal's brain on reset.

"I thought all the apartments were built the same.."

Mal rubbed the back of her neck, eyes downcast.

"They are...b-but mine's was modified so I would stop having panic attacks every time I stayed inside too long..."

Evie did remember when the ambulance came to their building on numerous occasions. In fact, there was a time when they were called six times in a month. Her eyes widened as she looked to the ashamed girl and grabbed her face.

"A-are you ok now? What happened? Do you need anything?"

To put it frank, Mal was surprised by the girl's sudden worry. It wasn't common to say the least, everyone else took her attacks with a grain of salt. Well, everyone minus her brother and Carlos.

"I am once they took out a wall and carved a new door in the wall so my brother could get to me in time...

"Is it ok to ask what happened?"

Nodding, the two turned to face each other. Though, Evie was still in her little ball form, she leaned her head to the side while Mal positioned herself to allow Isle extra room. She'd actually almost forgotten about the lizard until Isle groaned and hopped off the couch to her food bowl. Remembering that she wasn't alone, Mal turned back to the bluenette with a smile.

"I was going to tell you anyways so sure"

"O-oh...r-r-right sorry"

It was cute seeing how easy it was to embarrass the taller girl. Rest her head on the back of her couch, Mal simply watched the minor details of the girl before her. There was a faint blush on her cheek, a cute awkward smile and a her body seemed more relaxed than before. All in all, a huge plus for her. Evie caught her off guard though, leaning a bit closer before speaking.

"Are you going to tell me?"

Sometimes, Mal wished she wasn't an artist because at that moment, she desperately wanted to create a portrait of the girl. The lights from outside hit just the right angles, illuminating her features in a faint glow that mesmerized her. She was entranced, not by her putter beauty, but by the girl's soul. It wasn't hard to see it when Evie wore her heart on a sleeve, so when she looked in her eyes, she just couldn't look away. Well, until Evie nudged her gently scaring the poor girl. The bluenette watched, the girl jump and look away as if she were caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. With a tilt of her head, Evie asked what was wrong? Mal could only respond with a sheepish grin.

"N-nothing just zoned out is all.."

"Staring at me?"

When Mal blushed at being caught, Evie's eyes held amusement and settled back into her spot.

"It happens to me with you so it's fine"

"Wh-what?"

"Weren't you going to tell me something?"

Confused, the purplette shook her head to clear it missing the obvious blush on Evie's cheeks despite appearing to play it off.

"Well, how about this we take turns? I say one thing then you tell me one of yours, it's like 20 questions but more personality wise"

Thinking for a moment, Evie nodded, taking the bottle of water and taking a sip.

"Well you told me one of your issues first so I guess you go first to ask me?"

Mal nodded with a smile, leaning back a bit to grab her phone. She changed the music to something similar, almost classical if she could recall. Either way, it did its job putting her mind at ease. Once she'd set it down in front of them, their little game started.

"Alright then, how come you always wear sweaters or hoodies?"

It was a simple question, Evie just wasn't expecting her to be so direct. Her eyes had widened but she cleared her throat with shrug.

"I'm anemic and I'm hardly ever warm hoodies will forever be apart of my life style, plus I like wearing oversize clothes"

"That explains a lot then"

"Regarding?" 

"Well...you bruise pretty easy and you're a bit clumsy"

Eye twitching, Evie shoved the shorter girl earning a laugh.

"I am _not_ that clumsy"

"Every time we ran into each other, it was literally us RUNNING into each other"

Rolling her eyes, Evie scoffed, folding her arms with a pout and Mal playfully nudged her. 

"You're turn princess"

Evie soon learned more about Mal's daily struggles and issues, some where easy to manage like her claustrophobia and anxiety while others, like her impulsiveness and insomnia were more of a challenge. She made sure to take mental notes to not somehow trigger the girl in the future and to study up on them later. She'd never met someone that actively listened to her daily struggles. Evie told her about her anemia, her terrible sense of direction, the over bearing anxiety and her intolerance to loud noises, which explains why she hated yelling so much. She'd never talked about her problems to anyone before, so having someone that cared not only enough to listen but to also give her advice with promise a promise to help, made her feel as if a weight had been lifted. "Like I said before princess, I got you and I keep my promises", was she falling even harder than before? Definitely, because her cheeks would flush at the nickname and Evie hadn't noticed that her legs were now folded under her, with her hand resting against her head. Mal was different than others she'd interacted with in the past. Talking to her was almost scarily easy, the purplette would give her full attention and only speaking when she thought she was done. So, by the time night fell, they were laughing at not only themselves but one another. Telling each other about their lives, funny moments and dislikes as well as more personal secrets. Evie somehow found herself laying on the purplette's lap, trying to catch her breath.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, like we had to catch Carlos from falling off the cliff wrong! I don't know why they had me _the smallest one_ there hold on to him”

"what happened after?"

"we both fell off! so like my entire back was red and Carlos' front was just gone!" 

Another round of laughter erupted from the two, but it was Mal's turn to ask a question. With a bite of her lip, she rested her elbow on the couch propping her head on her fist as she looked down to her. A faint blush made its way to Evie’s cheeks, there was a certain look on Mal that made her heart skip a beat. Was it that content smile? Or was it the soft look in her eyes? Whatever it was, she found herself loving every moment and hoped that this wasn't a dream. 

“Hmm...what’s a romantic gift you absolutely hate?”

It was an unexpected question but one Evie was quick to respond to.

“The whole, dozen roses gesture to signify love thing? Yeah I hate that”

“That’s new, how come?”

Evie shrugged, sitting up a bit when the purplette moved her legs to switch her position. This time she stretched one leg out with their other bent at the knee but laid back against the armrest. Being short did have its advantages, so she left enough room for Evie to sit comfortably plus Mal was grateful for not having to explain why she had to lay down. She’d told Evie about her slight scoliosis that kept her lower back in a permanent arch and was amused by the girl’s sexual comment. So when she laid down, she thought Evie would just stay up or move but, she didn’t. Evie laid back down, with her chin resting above her navel, looking up to her with a smile. Seeing the bluenette so at home was but a blessing from the gods, the girl had wrapped her arms around their lower back which earned a blush on Mal’s end. A temporary pillow but to Mal, it meant so much more. She cleared her throat gesturing for Evie to continue. The bluenette then shrugged again.

“A rose signifies love for a person right?”

Mal nodded.

“Well, how I see it is, if you give someone a dozen roses then you’re not the only choice. I see it as that person has multiple options other than you but if you give one rose, then you’re the only one in their mind and heart”

“Hmm...what about a bouquet of other flowers that have say...three roses among them?”

“Every flower represents an emotion right? Well, if that’s the case then that just means not only am I not your only choice but that your confused and can’t chose between me and others”

Hearing the bluenette speak so passionately about it was like her explaining every portrait or picture she’d created. She viewed love as a form of art, with too many muses things can become cluttered and frustrating. But, with one that constantly inspires you and brings light into your life, it’s an everlasting feeling. Mal nodded with understanding.

“Guess I’ll only bring you one rose on our next date then”

Evie sat up.

“And what makes you think I’ll let you take me on that second date?”

A lazy grin made its way to the purplette’s face. Mal made a bold move of wrapping her arms around her torso. Evie’s reaction just made it better, her eyes had widened with a teeth fill smile.

“Well, considering that I practically saved you from a corrupt prince...I think I deserve it don’t you?”

Giggling, Evie slid forward to where she hovered above the smaller girl. Their faces inches apart. Mal reached up, tucking the blue tresses behind her ear while her free hand held the girl’s waist. Evie bit her lip as she looked down to the halo of purple that surrounded the beauty under her.

“And here I thought you were my knight in shining armor”

“Please don’t insult me, I’m no knight”

Mal chuckled sitting up on her elbows, only to be pushed back down by a grinning Evie. With a raised brow, the purplette blushed when the taller girl straddled her waist.

“Then what are you?”

“Whatever you want me to be princess”

There was that nickname again, it made her chest feel hot with excitement and the look in the purplette’s eyes only made that feeling grow. So, she leaned down to hover above the girl once more with the desperate urge to kiss her.

“Well...you’re too feisty to be a prince..”

“Mhmm~”

Goosebumps crawled her up spine when a pair of warm hands crept under her hoodie, slid up her back, and back down to hold her waist. Mal was trying to hold back her laughter at the shocked expression on her face. Evie rolled her eyes with a smile.

“And judging by the stories you’ve told me...you’re too reckless to be a knight”

“That’s actually been proven, yeah”

Evie giggled, lowering down till their stomachs pressed against one another. Not that Mal minded, she was a huge cuddler so she liked it.

“You also have this fire in you that’s warm when you’re calm, burns when you talk about your passions and rages when your angry so...you’re my baby dragon”

Mal looked amused yet confused much to the bluenette’s delight. She laughed at the girl’s shock.

“Why a baby dragon?”

“Because you maybe hardcore like you think you are but you’re extremely cute and cuddly”

Rolling her eyes, Mal wrapped her arms around a slim waist and made another bold move. She leaned forward, rubbing their noses together earning a heavy blush.

“Wh-what was that for?”

She wasn’t the only one flushed, if it were any brighter in the dimly lit apartment, Evie would’ve seen how far the blush on her face stretched. Mal cleared her throat, looking away and out the window bashfully.

“I-I wanna kiss you but it’s too soon so...Eskimo kiss?”

How was it legal for anyone to be that cute? Evie grabbed the girl’s face and rubbed their noses together, making sure that their lips brushed as she did so. She could hear the small gasp that left the purplette speechless.

“you’re too cute my brave dragon”

Once Mal snapped out of her stupor, she held the girl close to her with her usual Jay like grin.

“you are too my strong princess”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if they're errors, please ignore them. I tried :')

A month passed, many days filled with cute messages, comforting words and so much time to make new friends. All without her brother getting in the way. Evie was determined to keep him as far away as possible, especially from the girl she liked. They were on their fifth date so far and Evie was happy. She'd never met someone like Mal. The purplette didn't make her feel like she couldn't breathe when they were together. Not only was she considerate, but she sweet as well, wanting to be there if she needed. Rather than hovering over her like her family did. She was quiet but full of amazing idea, charming and incredibly protective.

It was pleasant to say the least and possibly everything the bluenette could ever want in a girlfriend.

Eyes widening she paused, blushing madly as she stared in the mirror. Thinking about being the purplette’s girlfriend always sent her mind in a frenzy. They weren’t dating yet, but Jay sure made it his job to tease them about it. She laid her head down on her vanity with a whine. Gods did she really like Mal, she wanted to take things with her slow! Not rush it like her last relationship. Exhaling, she sat up to grab a hair clip the purplette had given her. It was blue rose with leaves, resting on a silver base. She smiled fondly using it to hold her hair back. She then thought back to the purplette, as if she could ever get Mal out of her head. Her being an independent artist meant she had a lot of free time if she chose. Which also meant visits to her workplace to bring her lunch, because she’d forgotten. The purplette would jokingly scold her for forgetting to eat, but always chose something she liked; adorned with a little blue rose sticker on the packaging. It was a sweet gesture and Evie found herself keeping the stickers; placing them on a board in her work area. Of course her co-workers caught on to the two, as well as the board. Another designer named, Audrey, would comment every time Mal would show up with lunch or a sweet treat Evie would’ve craved that day. She could recall the moment when the pinkette would push her to give the woman a kiss goodbye, but Evie would push back saying how they weren’t at that level yet.

She looking at herself in the mirror.

“Seems like everyone wants us to speed up already...”

With a sigh, the bluenette thought back to their date. They were going further into the city and though she was excited, Evie couldn’t help but feel concern gnawing at the back of her mind. The main reason why Mal picked the apartment in the first place, was due to the semi quiet neighborhood and not so many people traveling through the area. Their neighbors were pleasant and the atmosphere was peaceful, so it was rare to see her in the more busier parts of New York. But this time, for their date, Mal was the one to pick a location in Time Square. Evie did question it, sitting on the woman’s couch petting Isle.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable Malie"

The purplette waved her off with a smile before cupping her face to give her an Eskimo. The gesture was cute, but with everyone’s little pushing, Evie was craving a real kiss. Thoughts of having the purplette’s lips on her own would make her swoon, as she only experienced it a few times in her dreams. She just wasn't sure if Mal was ready for that step; hell they weren't even dating yet and the bluenette craved so much from her. She scolded herself as she looked in her mirror.

“Don’t listen to them, you’re going at a pace that’s comfortable for both of you...”

After a few seconds of glaring at herself, she leaned back to let her head hang as she whined.

“But I really want to kiss her...”

There was a knock at her door, but she ignored it. Her room was closed, mainly to have privacy since she was getting ready, but also to avoid her brother.

_‘There go my happy thoughts’_

Evie refused to speak to the boy; wanting an apology before a simple 'Hi, how are you?’ or pathetic starts to a conversation like, ‘wonderful weather we’re having’. She knew why, but it never ceased to piss her off even more. Evie was nearly finished when the knocking became consistent.

Again, trying to ignore it as she got dressed. By the time she was finished, she had it up to her neck with the noise but Evie admitted she couldn't avoid her brother forever. Her eye twitched as swung her door open to come face to face with the blonde. His hair was in its usual disheveled state, but his eyes were red as if he'd been crying. Any other time she would sympathize with the boy, but he'd done so much damage, Evie couldn't see the two rebuilding their bond so easily. Besides, with where she was heading in life, the boy would only hold her back if she continued to try to work with him. Frowning, Evie looked away to grab her purse; not missing the way he stepped back with widened eyes.

She guessed he wasn't expecting her to answer.

"E-Evie?"

She rolled her eyes, closing the door to her room as she passed by him.

"Yes I live here, hi"

"I-I know I just...umm.."

He noticed her putting on a pair of black and white adidas, then eyed the outfit she wore; a pair of gray skinny jeans, one of her lighter gray t-shirts with the words 'We Belong Together' written over her chest. Her hair was also down, but in lose curls ending at her mid back. There was a clip had hadn’t seen before, so it must’ve been new. While rubbing the back of his neck, Chad leaned against the counter making sure to keep his head down.

"You look really nice....are you going on another date?"

"Mhmm"

At least he wasn’t trying to hound down on her about it, a month ago, he’d somehow convince her to stay and binge watch one of their favorite shows. Evie frowned, crouching down to tie her shoes. She still avoided looking at him, but he was just happy he was somewhat speaking to him again. So, he tried looking at her when he spoke.

"This is the fourth one right?"

Finished with her shoes, Evie fluffed out her hair in a nearby mirror to fix it. 

"Fifth but thanks for noticing"

"You're still mad at me aren't you?"

"Oh big time"

When she turned to finally look at him, he couldn't tell how she felt. Normally he could read her like a book, but with how much she distanced herself, it was like looking at someone new. He felt hurt seeing her smiling and laughing with others, but with him, she reserved herself. Evie hadn't looked at him since that purple haired imp took her from him, opting for pretending he didn't exist instead. Chad would watch her leave early and come home late at night; most nights, Evie didn't come back. He wasn’t sure, but he took it as his sister staying away from him as some sort of punishment. One he wasn’t so sure he deserved.

He sighed.

"Can't we just move past this?"

"Not until you apologize"

Chad pushed himself off the counter with furrowed brows.

"For what? Trying to protect my sister?"

"No, that's perfectly fine Chad"

Sighing, Evie resumed looking at herself in the mirror.

"Then why are you still mad?”

Chad was growing impatient, standing with furrowed brows and folded arms. Despite his sudden change in attitude, the bluenette didn't turn around; she kept her eyes on him in the mirror's reflection. Evie didn’t trust him in the slightest, especially after that night. She still felt embarrassed that Mal had to see her, in her weakest state. Her brother was only pushing her further away and he was too dense to realize it. His anger, ticks and other issues were only making her stray further and further to the purplette. Evie wanted to get along with her brother. She loved him dearly, but she couldn’t handle him anymore. It was just too much.

With one hand in hair, she used the other to count as she spoke.

"It's for the hovering, the smothering, the treating me like a child, not respecting my boundaries and for trying to pick fights with me and others for no reason"

"What?! I don't pick fights!"

Evie gripped the mirror's edge when his voice raised. 

"You raising your voice at me caused numerous fights and then, when you first met Mal you tried to pick a fight. You also tried to pick a fight with her brother when he came for a visit, that and you lost said fight when you made the mistake of pissing off his boyfriend”

“It’s not my fault that fa-“

Evie cut him off, having half a mind to take the mirror off the wall and throw it at him.

“Don’t call him that! He did nothing to you! None of them did. You’re being an insufferable brat for no reason...they’re really nice people and I like them, they make me happy and you can’t look past your own insecurities to see that”

Though Chad frowned, he quickly covered it with a scoff. That wasn't true, he was a great person and only wanted what was best for her. He approached her from behind. The least she could so was look at him, but when he got too close, Evie moved away from the mirror to press herself against the door. Attempting to approach her again, she gripped the doorknob.

"Stop trying to get close to me...."

"Then look at me! I'm not the enemy here Evie.."

"Are you sure about that? Because you're raising your voice again and stop before Mal and Jay run up here"

He tsked, staying in plus but throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Oh! So you need others to protect you now? What happened to 'I'm independent'"

Evie glared at him, her grip on the knob tightening as her anxiety grew.

"There's a difference between doing things on my own and needing help from you"

"Why would you need help from me? I'm your little brother"

At least he listened and lowered his voice. Evie relaxed a little, but kept back against the door to keep an eye on him. After last time, she really didn’t want to be in the same room as him anymore. The bluenette sighed though, checking to make sure she had everything on her at least.

"Because your issues trigger me Chad, your voice gives me anxiety attacks every time you raise it at me. I let you live here to get away from mom, so you can get a head start at finding your own place in life, not so you can try to control mine..."

"I'm not try-"

Evie looked away when her phone rang. She ignored him to answer and judging by her sudden smile, he knew who it was.

“Hey......no no I’m fine I told him to stop.....”

She giggled, leaning against the door but in a more casual pose; one where she seemed relaxed.

“no you don’t have to send Isle up I’m coming down now....no I don’t need help....I’ll see you in a bit?....okay...see you in a bit mi rosa”

Evie snorted a bit when Mal made her usual buffering noise. It was similar to the sound of a surprised kitten, but adorable nonetheless. Because of the little noises, the bluenette made it her duty to constantly speak little phrases in Spanish; just to see the woman blush and bumble over her words. Though her mood lightened, she still had to deal with her brother.She sighed, about to open the door when she realized she’d leave something behind. Evie hung up, but from the distance between them, Chad hadn’t heard the other end. His mind was in a haze as it tried to process. He wasn't trying to hurt Evie, he never wanted to. She was his big sister. Someone he looked up to as a child but seeing her now, giggling as she spoke to the purplette on the other line, it hurt that he couldn't make his sister laugh anymore.

When it was just them, he was the happiest he'd ever been. He was able to protect her, help her around the house or run errands for her. It made him happy that he could do those things for her, but was he that overbearing? He snapped out of his thoughts when she spoke to him.

"I have to go Chad..."

He reached out, stopping himself when she whipped her head around and jumped back. The blonde pulled his hand back to look at it as if it were a weapon he didn't know he had. His brow was furrowed when he looked at her, but Evie had her back turned to him once more; refusing to look at him again when she went back to grab a jacket.

When she returned, she had not only had a jacket, but a purple one in her arm. Chad felt his chest tighten, because the gray hoodie she always wore, it was his. With her hand on the doorknob once more, Evie kept her eyes trained on the wood as she spoke.

"You want to protect me so much? Then you should move back in with mom as a start"

His eyes widened.

"E-Evie no..."

She opened the door, glancing back to him.

"at least I'll be safe from you..."

When he reached out to pull her back, she was gone; shutting and locking the door behind her. He stood frozen with his arm outstretched only to slowly fall at his side as tears began to flow down his cheeks.

From outside, Evie had her eyes closed with her head pressed against the door. She exhaled shakily, pushing herself away and walked to the elevator. Everything in her was telling her to go back, to talk him, to try to meet him halfway. She shut those thoughts down because she’s tried everything already, this time, Evie was focusing on herself. She didn’t need such toxicity in her life. Not only did she have work, but the start of a beautiful relationship with a certain purple haired girl that was a joy in her life. All she was able to do before was go to work, the store or come back to her apartment.

She needed to live her life, whether her brother lived with her or they were siblings from a far.

Evie didn't want to, but again, it was too much for her to handle. When the elevator doors opened and she stepped out to the first floor of her building, Evie saw her date waiting. The purplette was leaned against the wall; holding Isle in her arms and talking to a freckled boy, she'd come to know as Carlos. His hair was swooped to the side but his bangs remained stubborn, covering his right eye. She couldn’t stop the smile from forming on her face even if she tried. Just looking at Mal made her feel like she was flying, that and seeing Isle in her little service animal vest was absolutely adorable. The bluenette made her way down the hall, only to be cut off by Jay intercepting her when he came down the stairs. The two stared at each other before he gave a sympathetic smile.

“Hard start?”

She nodded.

“Well the nights young and we have two amazing people waiting for us, let’s forget the bad and embrace the good yeah?”

When she nodded, he hooked an arm around her shoulders, making a few jokes to get a laugh out of her. 

"Mal! I found your girlfriend!"

She looked in time to the purplette's face turn red.

"We're not dating yet!"

"Uh-oh~ you hear that Eve? Not yet"

She giggled, waiting for Mal to set Isle down before opening her arms. Evie found herself falling into the girl’s awaiting arms, where she received a little kiss on her forehead. Again, the gestures were cute but she really want to kiss her. Mal held her close as she continued her conversation with the freckled man, she gently massaged the back of her neck to help her relax. Once the two were done and the guys left first, the bluenette leaned back with a sigh. Mal reached up to cup her cheek. 

“Spending the night again?”

Though she didn’t want to be a bother, Evie couldn’t stop herself from nodding. She felt her wipe a stray tear that fell without her knowing.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind the company”

She sniffled clinging to the jacket in her arms.

“Promise?”

“I promise. You're not a bother princess and I love having you around”

Smiling, Evie tried to hide the flush of her cheeks behind her hand but it was taken, kissed and held instead. Mal reached up to the tuck a few stray hairs behind her ear and cup her cheek once more.

“You never have to hide from me but I’ll wait okay?”

This was why Evie fell so hard so fast. Just Mal being Mal she supposed, but loved it still. She exhaled shakily as she nodded and tightened her hold in a smaller hand.

“Okay...thanks for checking on me earlier”

The purplette gave a Jay like grin as she opened the door for both Isle and Evie.

“Of course, someone has protect my princess”

“I’m yours now?”

Evie thought she’d get a little rebuttal or even a witty comment, hell even a joke but nothing could’ve prepared her for what came out of Mal’s mouth. She was blushing heavily, looking away at first when she laced their fingers together but soon met her gaze.

“After tonight I’d like you to be”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long wait is over my Rainbow babies!   
> Ever creature that's been rooting for Evie, today is your day :D  
> Super proud of this one

The first time Mal woke up, she was startled by a pot being dropped. She jolted from her half awakened state to see her brother and girlfriend in the kitchen. She raised an exhausted brow at the two before shrugging and going back to sleep on the couch. The second time she woke up was around noon when her phone rang. The purplette groaned, turning over on the couch and blindly reaching for her phone. After a few failed attempts, she found herself successfully knocking it over.

Mal sat up with a grunt, pushing herself over the arm of the couch, letting herself hang before answering in a raspier voice than normal.

"Hello?"

On the other end, she heard someone take in a deep breath that earned a raised brow. She cracked her eyes open to check who the caller was and found the person was none other than Evie. Mal rubbed her face as she sat back to stretch.

"Babe what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

_ "I...did you just wake up?" _

"Mhmm..."

She felt her eyes drooping but shot upright at the bluenette's giggling.

_ "You sound pretty hot when you're sleep deprived." _

A slow grin made its way to the purplette lips.

"You should hear how I sound when I'm half asleep then."

_ "I do, you talk in your sleep sometimes." _

"Oh yeah? What do I say?"

Mal stood up to fully stretch out her back; it popped in several places but still felt satisfying. She could only imagine the cringe on the bluenette's face since Evie hated when she did it. She chuckled, hearing the same noise that would emit from her new roommate.

_ "For the love of Aphrodite I can hear it, Mal." _

She laughed, going to her bathroom to freshen up. Mal used her shoulder to hold up her phone to her ear and reached up to grab her toothbrush. Starting, the purplette spoke in a muffled voice.

"Sho whatsh up?" The toothpaste mumbled her speech.

Evie's giggling was too cute for her at times. Not in a bad way, more so, hearing it made Mal want to buy her the universe if she could. Hearing it reminded her that the bluenette was happy and that was enough to satisfy Mal.

_ "I sorta forgot my lunch again, so I was wondering if my amazing, talented, and beautiful girlfriend would come into the city?" _

Evie's tone didn't sit right with Mal. She frowned, spitting out and rinsing her mouth before responding. 

"You don't have to butter me up, princess, I'll be right over."

_ "Are you sure? I know how you are with crowds..." _

Rummaging through her closet, a smile formed as she switched shoulders. Mal searched for her favorite hoodie, frowning when she couldn't spot it.

"Yeah that's perfectly fine..."

She checked in one of her drawers and raised a brow when she couldn't find it there.

"I need to learn to deal with it on my own since the Isle's getting sick a lot."

_ "That's right! How is she today?" _

Mal peaked out of her room to see her little soldier sunbathing. She watched her roll on her back with a concerned frown. The stitches on her underbelly were hidden under gauze and bandages but she knew they were there. She bit her lip, turning back to her room to continue the quest for her hoodie.

"Well considering she just rolled on her back and laid out like the loaf of bread that she is, I think she's fine for now."

She grinned hearing the snorted laughter from her girlfriend.

_ "That's good, at least she's getting better." _

"True but I'll be there soon, I'm just looking for my hoodie..."

_ "Your favorite one or the one you sleep in?" _

She crouched down checking under the bed, just in case it somehow slipped underneath.

"My favorite...I'm wearing the one I sleep in."

There was a pause before the bluenette giggled. 

_ "Sweetie, I'm wearing your hoodie" _

"Oh..."

The purplette rose from her spot on the floor to search for something decent instead all the while basking in the woman's amusement.

"Well, I'll just be there sooner than expected," she snickered.

_ "Alright but don't rush, I don't want you overwhelmed." _

"I'll do my best..."

She trailed off as she looked out the window and into New York's busiest intersection. Mal bit her lip as she would be headed there in less than ten minutes, give or take if she decided to walk there or hail a cab. Suddenly, Evie's voice snapped her out of it.

_ "Baby dragon~" _

"Huh? Yeah? Sorry did you say something?"

Evie chuckled.

_ "You were traveling again." _

"Oh sorry."

_ "Hey...don't apologize for something you can't control, you're still learning to regulate and you've gotten so much better Malie...I'm proud of you..." _

Tears began to weld in her eyes but she whipped them away, sniffling a few times as she grabbed clean clothes before heading back to shower.

"Thanks E...it means a lot."

_ "You know I'm a terrible liar and besides it's cute watching your mind explore other lands." _

Mal blushed, thankful that her brother was in his own apartment for once, lest she suffer his endless teasing. The purplette cleared her throat to mask a sound that almost escaped, she was feeling giddy and excited to see her.

"I umm...I'm getting ready now, see you soon?"

_ "Of course! And if you want to meet halfway then let me know and I'll walk with you okay?" _

"I should be fi–” she gave it a second thought “y-yeah I'd like that, thanks princess." 

Her face felt hot upon hearing the bluenette's approval. In Evie's eyes, as long as Mal made an effort and showed progress then she'd be happy. That was enough for her to get out of the house more; mainly to visit her art galleries and speak with sponsors about her upcoming work. Still, it was progress and it felt good to make her girlfriend proud.

"See you soon~"

_ "See you." _

Once she ended the call, Evie sat back in her chair with a lovestruck expression. She held her hand to her chest as she sat back down at her desk. After a morning of picky clients, seeing Mal was the medicine she truly needed.

"Uh-oh, I know that look~"

The bluenette sat up straight seeing her favorite co-worker. Who was she kidding? Calling Audrey just a co-worker was an insult in itself. The pinkette grew to become one of her closest friends. She giggled fanning innocence by shrugging.

"I don’t know what you mean."

Audrey stepped in her office, folding her arms and smirking.

"Let me guess...Mal's coming up here again?"

She laughed when a wide grin spread across her friend's face. Audrey took a seat at her desk as she shook her head with a good natured smile.

"Geez, I swear you're like a love sick puppy when it comes to her."

Evie opened her mouth to retort but stopped herself hearing her friends next comment. The pinkette's eyes were soft and her smile was genuine.

"I'm glad you found someone that brings out the best in you."

Her mind flashed images of past relationships, old heartbreaks, and the problem at hand. With how Audrey was looking at her, Evie knew what she meant since Audrey had witnessed everyone that came in and out of her life.

"Thanks...means a lot coming from you..."

Evie clutched the ends of her skirt as she tried to fight off tears welling in her eyes. She closed them, releasing a sigh while attempting to shake the negative thoughts from her mind. She was happy now, so why was there always a war within herself?

Evie opened her eyes to see her friend looking at her with concern. She tried to force a smile, but the corners of her lips never met her eyes; a sign she was regressing but she didn't want Audrey to see her like that.

"I...fuck, Audrey, she makes me so happy..."

When she sniffled, the pinkette stood quickly to round the desk and hug her. Despite being more in the rejecting mood, Evie allowed herself to be touched; trusting the woman was nothing compared to battling her own thoughts. 

Audrey began stroking waist length locs as she held her.

"Has anything gotten better at home?"

She shook her head. Evie leaned back, taking a few tissues off her desk to clean her face. When finished, the bluenette sighed, resting her head in her palm as Audrey sat back down.

"I haven’t seen him for almost a month."

She looked out her window as a lone tear fell. 

"I have to hide from my own brother, keep my new friends away and make sure that he and my girlfriend don't kill each other..."

"Girlfriend? About time you two made it official." Audrey smiled.

It was an attempt to make the bluenette smile as well, which worked for a few seconds before her frown returned. Evie nodded however, taking out her phone and showing her the pictures of their double date. She faintly smiled as she scrolled through her favorites, one where Mal was glaring at her brother with Rocky Road ice cream on her face and Jay with strawberry ice cream in his hair.

Audrey snickered at the distraught on the freckled man's face.

"Seems likely you guys had fun...too bad Uma and I were out of town then, we would've joined you."

Evie smiled still, scrolling to another where Mal held her hand during a horror movie. The purplette looked terrified, having climbed in her lap during a gruesome part of the movie.

"Her brother took this one. It's one of my favorites actually."

She awed at the picture, taking her phone to change it to her Lock Screen. Evie gave a good natured eye roll before letting her scroll through the album. Without looking, Audrey questioned her.

"So what happened when you came home?"

"Why do you ask?"

Setting her phone back down, the pinkette rested her chin on palm. 

"I know you E, you should be gushing about your date, grabbing and shaking me until I slap you off because you're excited. I can tell something happened."

She gnawed on her lip for a moment, wondering if she should tell her friend. Then again, Audrey would find out eventually if she decided to ask her Mal. Mal had a rather bad habit of spewing out information regarding subjects that pissed her off. With a heavy heart, Evie switched to her messaging app and to her conversation with Chad.

Audrey took it, paying attention when the bluenette began telling her about coming home. 

"Well, after an amazing date, the guys went back to Jay's apartment while Mal walked me to mine...everything was going well and I was going to spend the night with her anyways, but I was so happy that I kissed her.."

Audrey furrowed her brow, gesturing for Evie to continue.

"I thought I was moving too fast and went to apologize, but she kissed me back...e-everything felt so right in that moment Aud-"

Sighing shakily, Evie reached up to dab her eyes when her emotions began to show but the pinkette took her hand to hold instead. She felt comforted at the small jester.

"It's okay if you need to stop, babes, I'll wait..."

"No, no, I'm fine. I promise...just..."

"Frustrating?"

Nodding, the bluenette sniffled. Taking a few deep breaths, she continued.

"Chad and I had a small argument before I left, but they made everything so much better Audrey...they didn't hover. Mal was protective, yes, but she didn't start fights with strangers that looked at me...she didn't pick and choose my food for me...hell, Audrey, if someone was flirting with me, Mal just showed me off as her's saying that if they wanted me, they'll have to go through her first."

Audrey smiled, rubbing a thumb over her knuckles.

"She sounds amazing, E..."

"You have no idea, for Athena's sake, Mal even let me make choices about what I wanted and didn't even criticize me for it...I-It was the best night of my life and I even figured out why she was taking so long to ask me to be her's or even kiss me."

Her leg bounced as she wiped the tears from her cheeks, but the effort was futile as more continued to flow. Audrey cupped her cheek and stroked it gently. 

"You gonna tell me why or keep crying, beautiful?"

"Shut up."

It was halfhearted as another wave of tears flowed freely, but she didn't wipe them; instead the bluenette looked at her friend.

"Audrey...she wanted me to make the first move while I'm doing the same but I didn't know until I asked her...this wonderful woman told me she was tired of everyone calling the shots for me, so instead she's ready when I'm ready and that we'll go at my pace. That's why she slept on her couch and gave me her bed, that's why she let me choose what to do, that's why she-"

Evie covered her mouth as she cried, her eyes shut to avoid the stinging sensation but she felt arms encircle her shoulders. She cried into her friend, using one hand to grip her shirt as Audrey whispered words of comfort. 

"Take your time, I'm here to listen."

Sniffling, she nodded and rather than pulling away. Evie continued as she nestled against her friend.

"Sorry…,I got off topic..."

"And? You needed to get it out and I'm your unlicensed therapist so it's fine...just pay me in candy later."

Audrey smiled when the bluenette laughed and released her to wipe the freshly fallen tears. Evie took a few tissues to clean her nose, grimacing at what came out of her.

"Ugh..."

"Gods, Evie, you're such a germaphobe"

"Shut up, it's gross."

"It's natural!"

"Still gross!"

The two delved into a small fit of giggles; Audrey shaking her head and pulling the chair around to sit in front of her. She took her hands once more told hold. Nodding, Evie shifted her mind back to that night.

"Well, anyhow, we got back, she kissed me and I asked her to be mine to which she said, 'yes' and I swear it was one of the happiest moments since she'd come into my life...but then Chad came out and he saw us kissing, which really riled him up...one thing I didn't know about Mal, is that her anger is probably as strong as her social anxiety."

Audrey snorted but cleared her throat to cover her laughter.

"How so?"

"Because one minute she was being the absolute bean that she is and the next, she was standing between Chad and I keeping him as far from me as possible...he was trying to pull me away from her but I intervened before he could start an actual fight."

Evie exhaled, releasing one of her hands to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Gods, Audrey...he even threatened to hit her if she didn't get away from me-"

"Did she?"

"Of course not, Mal stood her  ground and dared him to put his hands on her."

Audrey chuckled with a shake of her head, she figured the purplette was feisty considering her height, but she never guest she'd be brave enough to challenge that maniac.

"Talk about small but mighty....what else because I know there's more"

"I wish there wasn't, but after he threatened her I had enough and kicked him out..."

Eyes widened, the pinkette looked at her like she was crazy.

"You what?!"

Her reaction was expected so the bluenette wasn't fazed, rather Evie pulled up an email from their landlord on her computer. She allowed for her friend to lean over her lap to read the document. She eventually sat back with amazement written on her face.

"Holy shit...you actually kicked him out..."

"Better yet, I moved in with her."

"Don't you think it's a little too soon?"

Shaking her head, the bluenette checked the time on her phone then her messages to see if Mal had said anything about their topic of conversation. Seeing she hadn't texted her yet, Evie turned back to Audrey.

"I've been staying with her since our second date just to get away from Chad...I'm pretty much living there so we made the arrangements and I moved in last week."

Audrey furrowed her brow, unsure if she should ask about her brother until the bluenette answered her unasked questions.

"Chad didn't take the news well..."

_ "What do you mean you're leaving?!" _

_ Evie ignored the boy as she packed the rest of her bags. He was right on her heels as she carried another suitcase to the door. _

_ "Evie! Answer me!" _

_ In near tears, Chad grabbed her arm in an attempt to force her to look at him but was met with a slap instead. His eyes were wide in bewilderment and was met with a glaring Evie. _

_ "Put your hands on me again...I fucking dare you." _

_ He stepped back with a hand on his cheek as he watched her. _

_ "Y-You hit me..." _

_ "And you've tormented me since I moved out of mom's house-" _

_ Setting her bag down, the bluenette glared at her brother. _

_ "That slap doesn't even amount to everything you've put me and everyone else through" _

_ "I-I haven't done anything wrong and yet you're leaving me...j-just like-" _

_ Evie had enough. In the midst of walking to the door, she dropped her duffel bag and stormed over to the fragile boy. Taken aback by her sudden change, he backed away as it was his turn to be cornered and with her hands on her hips. Evie let him have it. _

_ "Just like what? Like mom who didn't even want you to begin with? Th _ _ e ONLY reason you stayed with us is because of me. I cared enough about you so that instead of having my mother send you back after using you for a charity event, I convinced her to let you stay.." _

_ She placed a hand on her chest as her emotions began to spiral. _

_ "And what do I get as a thank you? Manipulation, aggression, toxicity and endless nights of me thinking that I'M the problem when it was YOU this entire shitty time!" _

_ "Evie, I-" _

_ In his attempt to push back, Evie stopped him. She narrowed her eyes daring him to interrupt her. _

_ "I'm not that same scared little girl Chad and I'm not going to let you bully me anymore so you're going to stand there and listen to me for once in your life!" _

_ "I do listen to you!" _

_ "SINCE WHEN?!" _

_ He jumped, looking at her as if she was a new person. Evie never yelled at him before as he thought her voice couldn't get much higher and rather than composing herself, she kept going. _

_ "I'M SICK OF YOUR SHIT CHAD!" _

_ He continued to push. _

_ "BUT YOU PROMISED-" _

_ She pushed harder. _

_ "THAT WAS BEFORE YOU TURNED INTO THIS MANIPULATIVE SON OF A BITCH THAT NEEDS TO FEED OFF HIS SISTER FOR A BETTER LIFE!" _

_ Chad stepped back as she stepped closer. He was in the corner fully now and they now had an audience. Looking past her raging eyes, he saw the bane of his existence; along with her brother. The two made him feel embarrassed to be seen in such a state. He was cowering in a corner while his sister scolded him, fear coursed through him but it wasn't turning into anger like usual. No, this time he was the one wanting to run away and hide. For a brief moment, Chad wondered if Evie felt the same that one time. _

_ To make matters worse, the two behind her were smiling. _

_ "EXCUSE ME!" _

_ Chad jumped again when his face was suddenly grabbed and was forced to look at her. _

_ "I AM TALKING TO YOU AND YOU WILL GIVE ME THE RESPECT I DESERVE! DO YOU HEAR ME?" _

_ He nodded, but it wasn't good enough for her. She gripped his jaw tighter earning a whimper from the boy. _

_ "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" _

_ "Y-You're yelling at m-me..." _

_ Evie scoffed, releasing his jaw to push his back against the wall. _

_ "AND?! I SAID THE SAME THING A YEAR AGO AND DID YOU STOP?" _

_ "N-No" _

_ "WHAT DID YOU DO?" _

_ Chad was crying then, slowly sliding down the wall to escape her heated gaze. _

_ "I-I...I made you get sick again..." _

_ "EXACTLY! But you know what Chad-" _

_ Chuckling darkly, Evie crouched down and grabbed lifted his head by his chin. _

_ "I'm not like you...I'm not going to bully someone I love but you needed to know how it feels to be afraid for once because every day for the past ten years, I felt I couldn't do anything without your hand to hold...I felt like I was holding you back but really it was the other way around..." _

_ Evie stood back up, turned and went to grab her last bag. To her surprise, both Jay and Mal were standing in her doorway. She wasn't expecting to see them so soon as the plan was for them to wait by the elevator; guess she was louder than expected. Upon realization, Evie felt drawn to apologize, but this time, she snuffed those instincts down as she wasn't bending anymore. _

_ She could see the boy curled up in the same corner he put her in countless times and she had to admit, it was disheartening. To see someone she truly cared for in such a fragile state, Evie didn't want to leave him like that. He was vulnerable, afraid, and probably losing himself. But when she went to comfort him, a hand on her shoulder stopped her. It was Jay. She looked at him with an expression that pulled at his heart, but he shook his head. _

_ "Come on, we have a movie night to get ready for and I'm not letting all that popcorn go to waste." _

_ It was an attempt to make her smile and worked. The bluenette nodded, going back in her room to make sure she had everything. Once she was sure, Evie returned, bending down to grab her bag once more and without looking, she spoke to her brother. _

_ "You have three days to leave before the landlord kicks you out...I already talked to mom and she said you could move back in with her but that's all I could do...goodbye, Chad." _

_ Mal took her hand, slowly urging her to walk out the door when she found she wasn’t moving. Evie clutched her hand tight, inhaling deeply and exhaling before following the two out her door. She left her keys in a little bowl, then closed and shut the door behind her. Outside, she received praise from the siblings. _

_ "Holy shit, Evie, that was so badass!" _

_ Mal was grinning widely as she set her bag down, reached up and pulled the bluenette into a passionate kiss. Evie smiled, hugging around her waist and kissed back. Meanwhile, Jay rolled his eyes good naturedly. _

_ "Are you two going to do that often?" _

_ Pulling away, Evie pecked her lips repeatedly; earning a few giggles from the shorter girl. _

_ "Yes, yes we are. Deal with it." _

_ Jay snorted as he gave her a sideways hug in congratulations. _

_ "Whatever, I'm just glad you put him in his place." _

_ Their moment was short lived as Chad returned to the scene. He looked like he had a small mental breakdown with his hair tousled and his face red. The boy was begging and reaching out to her from his spot. _

_ "Evie, please...you were the only one that cared, you were the one that saved me...if it wasn't for you, I'd probably have been adopted by the men that used me...y-you remember that right?" _

_ There was a sick twist to his face. It didn't sit well with either of them and Jay made it clear that he wasn't leaving. His eyes narrowed as he watched the boy's movements. Evie clutched her girlfriend's hand as guilt began crawling up her spine. _

_ "Chad, I...I just can't anymore" _

_ "Evie, please! You just showed me that you're stronger than I thought, right? Right?!" _

_ She said nothing, relishing in the safety net she'd spent so long developing. _

_ "L-Look I can change, I can get my shit together a-and we can go back to how things were before!" _

_ "You mean before when you'd verbally abuse her?" _

_ All eyes turned to the purplette. She was frowning and the hand that wasn't supporting Evie was clenched into a tight fist. Chad glared as he gestured to his sister. _

_ "I was talking to her, not you...you're trying to drive us apart!" _

_ "You're doing that all on your own, buddy." _

_ The words came out like a threat. Whether he knew what he was doing or not, Mal didn't care anymore. After all she'd witnessed him doing to Evie, she wasn't letting him get the last words. _

_ "Chad, just do what she says and leave, Evie doesn't need someone to take care of or someone to take care of her. It's over. We're not going to let you keep hurting her." _

_ "I'm not trying-" _

_ The purplette sneered as she struggled to keep herself from ramming her fist into his face.  _

_ "BUT YOU ARE!" _

_ He winced at her volume. Sighing, Mal pinched the bridge of her nose before kissing the back of her girlfriend's hand. Mainly to keep herself calm and to let her know she wasn't going anywhere. _

_ "Look, kid, you love her, right?" _

_ The boy nodded. He was clutching his chest as he tried to rebuttal, but it fell upon deaf ears as Evie took the reins for the last time.  _

_ "Well this isn't how you show love, this is insanity! It's anxiety and it made me feel like I was drowning! Chad I'm done...I'm tired of having a war within mind because of you! I'm..." _

_ Evie stopped as she found herself beating a dead horse. This wasn't going where she'd hope and her new home was already waiting for her. She shook her head as Jay rubbed her back warmly. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling.  _

_ "Every day, since you came into my life...it had been nothing but a cycle of pain-" _

_ The bluenette looked at her brother, one last time as she raised her and Mal's joint hands. _

_ "I'm starting my new chapter in this life with my girlfriend, Chad, whether you like it or not isn't my problem...because I'm not going to let you drive me over that edge." _

Audrey was on the edge of her seat as she listened, even wishing she had popcorn as the story came to a close. Her eyes were wild with interest as she suddenly grabbed her friend by the shoulders and shook her.

"Please tell that's not the end of you being a badass!"

Evie shook her head as she sighed.

"After that, we got in the elevator when he called out 'what if she leaves you?' and I responded with 'I trust her' sounding very confident but really, it's thoughts like those that I try my best to avoid and even after all that, he still got the last laugh."

The bluenette laid her head on her desk, groaning.

"Do you know how hard it is to brush those thoughts away while your girlfriend is cuddling with you on the couch?"

"I can relate...happens to Uma every time you and I leave for a work event."

"How do you handle it?"

Audrey thought for a moment before giving a simple answer while shrugging.

"Talk to her."

"I-"

Suddenly, her phone rang, startling the two. Audrey grabbed the desk to stop herself from falling out the chair but Evie accidentally hung up while in the midst of her small panic attack. The two look at each other before bursting into laughter. Checking her phone, she realized she missed Mal's call and hurried to text her.

To: BeanBun

_ Sorry! The call scared the crap out of me _

When a hand rested on her shoulder, Evie looked up from her device to see Audrey with an encouraging smile.

"From what you tell me, Mal will understand...just stay honest and you'll be okay."

Her phone dinged, this time without scaring her. 

From: BeanBun

_ XD sorry I was just letting you know I'm here. Come down I brought you something special _

Evie smiled, sending an “okay” as she got up from her chair. Before she left, she turned to her friend.

"Thanks, Audrey...I really needed that."

"Anytime, now go get your girl~"

With redound energy, she was off. A little nervous to admit her doubts, but confident enough to know that she wouldn't be judged for them. The elevator ride gave Evie a little time to figure out how to approach the purplette. But to her surprise, she was given even less time because as soon as she exited, Evie could see a few of her co-friends bombarding her girlfriend. Mal had this look whenever she was getting anxious: she'd smile, laugh too much, play with her hair and fidget until everything grew too intense for her.

Evie frowned and rushed out of the elevator. The closer she was, the more questions she could hear. 

"How long have you two been together?"

Normal.

"How tall are you? It's no wonder she likes you."

Questionable.

"Never thought she'd go for someone like you, honestly..."

Offensive.

Evie stood behind the trio with folded arms and a hardened expression. Upon seeing her savior, Mal's face lit up and she pushed passed the men to hug her girlfriend. Feeling the bluenette's arms around her waist was more than enough to allow her lungs to function again. Hugging Evie was like drinking ice water during a heat wave: refreshing.

The purplette clung to Evie, nearly forgetting where she was as she snuggled against her.

"Take your time okay?"

"Mmhm~"

Evie laughed a little, bracing a hand on the purplette's back before addressing her co-friends with a twitching brow and a forced smile.

"Which one of you boneheads is to blame?"

Her favorite of the three, Ben King, smiled sheepishly as he tentatively raised his hand. 

"Sorry, Eve, I was just excited to finally meet her"

She eyed him for a moment then turned to the other two. A guy named Harry had his usual 'I'm not smart enough to know what I'm doing' smile as he waved.

"Hey, Eve! I didn't think you'd be into someone so short, that's pretty cute"

"Care to explain why I feel like slapping you?"

He beamed.

"Because you love me?"

"I...I'm not answering that."

She turned to the last of the trio, ignoring Harry's 'she loves me!' comment as both she and Ben were used to his antics. It was refreshing at times considering he knew when to be serious. Evie glared at her co-worker. 

"Care to explain why you're acting like a child?"

This one was Doug, her least favorite. He was sm art, reliable but also borderline similar to her brother. She couldn't stand him at times such as these, unable to bear the thought of someone making her girlfriend uncomfortable. 

Doug rolled his eyes.

"I was just kidding Evie...she's alright."

Raising a brow, Evie glanced to Ben who nodded and popped the back of his head. The man flinched as the impact knocked his glasses off.

"Dude!"

Ben shrugged innocently.

"Would you rather she slap you or me?"

"I-"

Doug grumbled as he stormed away. The small group watched him get on the elevator and leave to get back to their floor. Once gone, Mal finally picked her head up.

"I don't like him."

Harry burst into a heartened laugh.

"None of us do, trust me, girly...oh! I'm Harry by the way and that's Ben."

Him pointing almost resulted in Ben losing an eye. The brunette dodged his finger with a look of dread written on his face.

"Hi..."

Mal giggled, finally comfortable enough to speak for herself; though she grabbed the bluenette's hand out of habit. 

"I'm Mal-" 

She beamed at the next part of her introduction with pride

"...Evie's girlfriend"

Spending a little more time with the guys, the purplette found she liked their company and given how close they were to Evie, Mal wanted to get along with them. She liked Audrey, despite the woman nicknaming her 'Mighty Mouse'. Her eyes would twitch when she did, but manners over annoyance was what she'd tell herself each time.

The two found themselves in a nearby park, or more specifically the memorial for 9/11. They paid their respects to those lost amongst the chaos; Mal surprised the bluenette by leaving flowers as tribute. Evie took her hand once they were finished and they sat on a bench. It was then, Evie noticed the bag in her free hand. Mal caught on and raised it to eye level.

"Lunch for us-"

She set the bag between them, opening to reveal a bento lunch box. Recognizing it as Japanese style food, Evie picked up a triangle shaped... cake? She studied it closely much to the purplette's amusement.

"It's an onigiri, babe."

Babe. Evie felt her heart flutter at the term of endearment. Mal giggled, pointing to each one as she explained what they were.

"What you have there is an onigiri, this is Nigiri which isn't too hard to make, a California roll with blueberries for you and strawberries for me"

Mal looked down to the box with a slight glare.

"It's not an official bento box, but I tried."

Or so she tried to convince herself. Evie smiled, leaning over to peck her pout away. 

"It's fine, my baby dragon, besides I've never been to Japan so I'm excited to try it."

The purplette's face flushed seeing how much her girlfriend liked her cooking. It was a simple one she decided to make, that and it probably was sent in the right order yet Evie praised her for her efforts. So much that once they were finished, the bluenette gave her not one, not two but three kisses. The act left her feeling giddy and for the remainder of the bluenette's lunch break, they relaxed in the park.

That is until Mal caught wind of a sudden change. Her brow furrowed upon noting Evie’s was silence. If she was quiet then there was something on her mind as the bluenette could talk for hours without pause at times. So, she did what any good girlfriend would do. The purplette raised her head and blew in her ear.

Evie squealed looking at her like she was crazy, ignoring a few onlookers who were startled as well. 

"Mal!"

Giggling, she took her hand and kissed it.

"Sorry princess but your thoughts were so loud it drowned out my own...what's wrong?"

Evie bit her lip, still unsure if she should actually tell her or not. Audrey said it would help and she trusts her. Right? Inwardly, she scolded herself for doubting the woman. The two were as close as sisters and the pinkette never steered her wrong. Of course she was right about telling Mal, especially if she was having insecurities.

The bluenette looked in her eyes and when she thought she'd find annoyance, Evie saw nothing but adoration. They were mesmerizing, reminding her of an open field where nothing but peace resided. A field of lush flowers where you could let your walls down. That's how Mal made her feel. She felt safe around her baby dragon, so Evie couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed to have doubts about her. Not wanting to make her wait too long, she took her hands to hold as she bit her lip.

"What if...what if I told you I was having doubts?"

Mal tilted her head in an adorable manner, reminding Evie of a puppy.

"About work or us?"

When she said nothing, the girl across from her, exhaled through her nose but didn't seem upset. Rather, Mal adjusted herself to sit cross legged on the bench to face her. She then took her hands again, absentmindedly playing with her fingers. 

"Mal, I'm so-"

She was cut off with a kiss so sweet it melted the nerves strangling her heart. Instinctively, she kissed back but it was over before things could escalate. Mal cupped her cheek as she smiled.

"Hey...it's just me princess...talk to me okay?"

"You won't get upset?"

She gave an incredulous look.

"If I started judging you now, then I'd cut my own tongue off for being a hypocrite."

To prove her point, the purplette pulled a plastic knife from her bag and attempted to shove it in her mouth.

"Mal, no!"

After a bit of struggling to get the knife, it was harder due to their laughter, Evie secured the object and threw it in a nearby trash bin. She was giggling while shaking her head.

"I believe you! Don't go cutting off body parts for my sake."

"Only if you tell me what's bugging you."

Evie snorted, covering the girl's eyes to avoid seeing her eyebrow waggling.

"Deal."

With that settled and the tension eased within the bluenette, Evie sighed as she began.

"Well...ever since the whole Chad thing...I've been thinking about what he said that day."

"That day when I was going to kick his ass or the day you moved out?"

Snorting again, she rested her head against her extended arm.

"The day I moved in with you."

Mal nodded, scooting closer to rest her head against her princess' arm as well. Smiling, she buries her fingers in purple tresses as she continues.

"....I've been having a lot of 'what if' thoughts, mainly like 'what if she leaves me?', 'what if I'm not good enough?', 'what if she breaks me?' or 'what if she finds someone so much better than me?'....those thoughts plague my brain so much I can't sleep sometimes and it pains me to think about you in a negative light, but they're there and they drive me insane."

She hadn't noticed she closed her eyes until Mal wiped a few fallen tears. Evie leaned into her palm, opened her eyes and grew confused seeing that adorable smile. Mal wasn't upset, if anything she appeared to be fawning over her. Her girlfriend only had that look on her face when she did something cute and Evie wasn't so sure that moment was cute.

Rearing back, she took her hand and laced their fingers together.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're cute that's why."

Her brow furrowed.

"You think my inner turmoil is cute?"

"Nope!" she said popping the 'p'.

The purplette did something unexpected, which was pulling her princess on her lap. Evie blushed heavily as onlookers either glanced their way or smiled at the two. It wasn't the same way Mal was smiling though, the way she looked at her was as if the whole world was within her grasp.

Wrapping her arms around her waist, she looked up to her girlfriend before kissing her chin. 

"I'm going to take it one piece at a time okay?"

Evie nodded, though still unnerved by the purplette's demeanor. Seeing her eyes light up was a good sign, so she wrapped her arms around Mal's neck and straddled her waist to get comfortable.

"Better yet, I have some new 'what if's' for you~"

"Oh? And how will that help me if I'm thinking about more negativity?"

Mal smirked, resting her arms on her girl's thighs as she held her close.

"Who said they were negative?"

She paused, pouting at the smug look on her face. It both annoyed and amused her simultaneously.

"Just tell me and stop looking at me like that!"

Chuckling, she leaned up kissing her chin. 

"Okay, okay, I'll stop messing with you for now."

Evie rolled her eyes as she lowered down to bump their noses together.

"Go on..."

"Alright then...what if I was made for you and you were made for me? What if we were meant to be?"

Evie bit her lip, listening and trying her damn best to not cry again.

"What if I'm not playing you like your last and I want to keep you forever? What if I just hold you close and kiss your worries away?"

She giggled at the series of pecks gifted to her. Soft lips connected where they could reach as her waist was held down, preventing her from escaping. Mal joined in on the small fit as she spoke again, this time closer to her ear.

"What if one day, princess, I go and change your name?"

All amusement left as she gasped. Evie leaned back to look at her girlfriend. Mal couldn't be serious, right? In her mind, she found herself too broken for marriage let alone staying with someone long enough, yet there she was dating her neighbor who's heart was just too big for her to ignore an argument. Mal was still smiling at her, a faint blush on her cheeks while she tucked blue strands behind her head and cupped her face. 

"Princess...you could keep worrying about the ifs or you could worry about what we'll have for dinner tonight and in the years to come because I'm not leaving you...Gods, I'm too in love with you to lose you, Evie."

Eyes widening, Evie covered her mouth. That was the first time either of the two said it out loud. But there she was, surprising her every second of every day. Mal took the reins this time and was confident enough to lead.

"I'm not like your ex's and I'm definitely not your brother, you'll always have me by your side to watch and encourage you as you grow....Gods, E, you're my universe"

With two hands, Evie cupped her face as tears threatened to fall once more for the day. 

"Say it again....please..."

Mal held the hands on her face as she too grew emotional. Yes, it hurt to know that her girlfriend had doubt but it only drove her to step on those thoughts and prove they were wrong. Evie meant too much to her and Mal wasn't going to let the cycle continue.

So, she hugged her close and whispered amongst her lips before kissing her deeply. 

"Evie Grimhilde, I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have any questions, feel free to comment them and if you're curious about updates, characters, stories, you can ask me personally on my tumblr!
> 
> @herdragonknights


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